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Six Democratic lawmakers on Friday added themselves to the list of elected officials calling on President Joe Biden to end his reelection bid — and all this by 11 a.m. ET. Rep. Sean Casten of Illinois made his case in an opinion piece in the Chicago Tribune, Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico issued a statement, and four other representatives wrote a joint letter.
As the president isolates at his beach house with COVID-19, his team is under mounting pressure, with top Democrats reportedly pushing for him to drop out. Friday morning's defectors joined 20 other House Democrats and two senators who have called on the president to step aside.
In his opinion piece, "It's time for Joe Biden to pass the torch," Casten said he believed Biden would lose the general election. Though he began the piece by praising Biden's record and character, Casten said the president was no longer fit for the job.
"It is with a heavy heart and much personal reflection that I am therefore calling on Biden to pass the torch to a new generation," he wrote. Doing so, he said, would save Biden's legacy.
Reps. Jared Huffman of California, Marc Veasey of Texas, Chuy García of Illinois, and Mark Pocan of Wisconsin wrote a joint letter to Biden that also called on him to "pass the torch to a new generation of Democratic leaders."
They, too, expressed admiration for Biden's personal and political record before saying it was crucial that the party defeat former President Donald Trump in November.
"We must face the reality that widespread public concerns about your age and fitness are jeopardizing what should be a winning campaign," they wrote. "These perceptions may not be fair, but they have hardened in the aftermath of last month's debate and are now unlikely to change."
In their letter, the four representatives said Vice President Kamala Harris was the leader of the next generation of Democrats. Many believe that Harris is best positioned to become the Democratic nominee should Biden step aside. The persistent divides within the Democratic Party are illustrated by García's membership in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, whose fundraising apparatus endorsed Biden on Friday morning.
Heinrich followed a similar format, starting his statement by celebrating Biden's accomplishments before saying it was important to keep Trump out of the White House.
"While the decision to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden's alone, I believe it is in the best interests of our country for him to step aside," Heinrich said. "By passing the torch, he would secure his legacy as one of our nation's greatest leaders and allow us to unite behind a candidate who can best defeat Donald Trump."
Biden insists that he plans to stay in the race, but some top Democrats are said to believe that his determination may be starting to let up in the face of waning support and dire poll numbers.
The continued fallout for Biden wasn't limited to Friday morning: Shortly after this story was originally published early Friday afternoon, three other elected Democrats called on Biden to resign: Reps. Greg Landsman of Ohio, Zoe Lofgren of California, and Rep. Morgan McGarvey of Kentucky.
